Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-07-07
DIME NOVELS DID IT.
AN OUTLAW ATTRIBUTES HIS
DOWNFALL TO THEM.

@Biinky'' Morgan the Mana Rogue
From Youth Up-Ran Away From Home
at Tender Age--Row He Lost Nm Eye
Wanted About EyerywAere for Crimes
His idea OF Religion.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, July 1.-tsBlinkey''
Morgan, the famous outlaw, and murd-
erer Of Detective Hulligan, was induced,
after considerable pumping, to give the
correspondent of the st. Louis Globe
Democrat a story of his career.
"When did you first enter upon a life
OF crimef'' asked the correspondent.
81 was born in Philadelphia, ;, he said.
when ] was very young I commenced
reading dime novels, and read them until
my mind was thoroughly poisoned. l
thought OF all sorts Of wild schemes, and
whom was JIG ran away from home and
went to Texas. There was d friend of
mine with me, hut he got laid out, poor
fellow, in q short time. ] lived there for
some time, and made many raids on the
Mexican frontier. The life / led then had
a great fascination for me, but in late
years 1t has become a painful necessity
How did you injurc your eye ~
"That was injured by powder-a pre-
mature discharge, rs n calls it.S j was
Slowing open a safe. / had a hole bored
and powder in it, which / had lit, but it
did not go off. Thinking it had gone out
/ went up to arrange matters when It
exploded and the flame burst out and hit
me in my face. My face was Bore, as you
can easily imagine, but my eye did not
trouble me severely until later. When I
was in Galveston it began to be inflamed,
and in a short time 1t became blind.
"What do you fear worst in regard to
your near future ~
81 fear the internal lies that will be
told by SONG of these smart detectives
who will be SO happy if in any manner
they can help to convict me-. oh, j know
them of old. Then, besides that il am
wanted in so many places. / skipped the
pen: in Canada, the Jail in Jackson, Mich,
and l am wanted in any amountof places.
In Canada I was taking a walk one eve
ming, when met a tramp, who asked me
IL l would give him q quarter to buy O
place to sleep. / thought he wanted ii
for liquor, SO / said: If you show me the
place I will pay for it for you.' We were
going there when he came across some of
his companions, when they asked the fell
low / was with II he had any money, and
he said, NO, but this fellow has, mean
Ing me. We got to talking and it led to
q dispute and then to blows. / struck
the fellow and pulled my gun and shot
another, when some officers came for as
and I shot one of them, and was making
of as best ! could, for I was lame, but
they cought me, and that is what I was
In the pen in Canada for"
seThey want you in Alpena for shooting
Lynch
"Oh, that's nothing. Yhey could not
do anything to me for that. I was sit
ting there in the house ~peaceably when
these men rushed in and sprung upon me.
I had q perfect right to shoot, and any
zian would have done the same thing in
my POSITION
Religious services were then being held
In jail, but Blinkey wasn't invited. He
was asked whether he had any religion,
and he replied:
II believe men are made different in
their brains; for instance, here is one man
who ia a doctor, another a lawyer,
preacher, OF whatever they may be-.
Well, think that God made those men
TO be just as they are. He surely knows
how every man is going to turn out when
he Dmakes him. / think that q man Is
destined to become something, and he
can't help it to save him.
49, ~ AE ~